Wreck-locator and life-preserver.



J. HAYES.

WRECK LOCATOR AND LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLlCATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1915.

Patented Oct. 3,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEEAT 1.

IN VEN TOR k WITNESSES.-

Patented 0.091916,

2 SHEETS-SHT 2.

J. HAYES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, If9l5.

WREBK LOCATOR AND LIFE PRESERVER.

Alz'omey 070k)? Hagar, INVENTOR,'

WITNESSES:

ATENT OFFI i JOHN HAYES, OF MUN ISING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO GEORGE WILSON AND ONE-FOURTH T0 FRANK HAUSLER, BOTH OF MUNISING, MICHIGAN.

WRECK-LOCATOR AND LIFE-PRESERVER.

T 0 all whom it may concern Beit known that I, JOHN HAYES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Munising, in the county of Alger and State of Michigan, have'invented a new and useful character which will save the passengers and crew of a S111 nng vessel, lndlcate the location of the Wrecked vessel, and alsoindicate and make a record of th lnonth the day of the month, and the exact time of daywhen the wreck'occurred. l

The invention compri vessel and attached;- thereto by suitable life rafts is relatively flat and is of a width cables, means for equalizing the length and pull on the cables and a float controlled time indicator.

I the drawingsi Figure l 'is a side' ele'vation of. a vessel embodying my invention ';jl Fig.2 is a perspective view. of the invention 1 showing the position it assumes after the wreck ofa vessel and indicating-the point a vessel 1, provided with a sup-porting frame 2, at each end, adapted to be fastened to the deck 3 of the vessel, or formed integrally therewith. Each frame isfprovided with i compartments4,-5 and 6. The middle c0m partment 5 is provided with a reel 7 having a cable or rope 8 wound thereon which is adapted to pass between, engage and travel over idle guide rollers 9, to pass upwardly through a central opening in the top of the compartment. The compartment 4 is provided with a door 10 to allow access thereto for the purpose of storing articles therein.

Two floats or life rafts f1, exactly similar in design and construction, are provided and preferably filled with compressed air, each having compressedair chambers 12 a storage chamber 13 for clothing or other articles, and a trap door 13. Each of these Specification of Letters Patent.

I sesessen ally' a plui'ality of floats adapted to be carried by the ertical sectional view of the. invention Patented oeas, 1916.

Application filed September 28, 1915. Serial No. 53,024.

and length conforming substantially to the horizontal dimensions of'the frame 2. As

will be observed from Fig. 2 of the drawings, the compartments '2 are of substantial 'width, admittingof but relatively narrow passage ways on the; deck. at the opposite side-sthereof- Thus, the life rafts are of substantial size and are thereby capable of carrying a large number of persons, and are accessible from the cliilerentjsides oftheir respective frames ,2. The top of the frame 2 has an upstanding marginal flange, which is relatively short, as shown to advantage in Fig. 3. Atthe base ofthis flange, and at .therinner side thereof, is arranged a marginalsupporting ledge. providinga. sup- I porting-face spaced. upwardly from the top.

of the frame 2, and which is adapted to receivethereon the marginal edge of the bot-- tom ofthe raft. The raft is thus spaced up- "wardly from the frame'2, andprovides.

therebetween a relatively low space -for a purpose which .will hereinafter appear. A railing 14: surrounds each float 1-1- fo1".the

purpose of preventing persons from being washed ofi'whe'n the float is used as a life raft. "A number of life preservers or life buoys 15 are fastened to the floats in any suitable manner, which can be furnished to any persons who may need them. i In order that a record may be kept when a wreck occurs, an indicator 16 is provided which is operated by clock-work, and is fastened to each float, and is provided with afloat 17, which is mounted and slides in guides 18 and moves the rod 19 upward'untilit engages and stops thecloc'k mechanism, as'shown in Fig. 4, when the float or life raft risestothe surface of the water. Each float or life raft is provided with two bridles 20 attached to the corners thereof, and the cable or hawser 8 is connected or attached to said bridles by means of a swivel coupling 21having rings22 and 23. The

swivel is for the purpose of allowing thebridles to turn with the float without becom ing twisted The bridles being loosely passed through 'the ring 22 and adapted to move freely therethrough automatically equalize or regulate themselves to the vari-" ouspositions assumed by the float and are kept taut atpill times. Under normal conditions of use thefloats or. life. rafts are seatedfup'on the supporting frames, being retained from displacement by the flange or rim provided around the edges of .the said frames, as shown in Fig. 3.

flat and loosely in the relatively low spaces between the frames and the rafts, and in position to be elevated and to loop down wardly without the necessity of unrolling the bridles or in any manner adjusting the same, Thus, by the provision of these low s aces the bridles are always held in posi- "tum ready for use, and are prevented from becoming entangled. It will also be noted that each connecting ring 22 connects the bridles at a point beneath the. central portion of the bottom of the float, and immediately over the central opening in the reel compartment 4. The swivel, likewise, is located at the cent a1 opening of the compartment, and

in position to be lifted to draw the cable up wardly through the opening in the top of the frame. Each apparatus isthus always in position for immediate use, and the parts are so assembled that the bridles, the cable and the swivel connection, which prevents the twisting of the cable when the raft is turned,

are in their proper relative positions and merely rise upwardly when the float or raft is raised.

The operation and utilities of the apparatus is so obvious that it is not thought necessary to make. any further explanation.

Ido not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illus trated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement, in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use, without departing from the spirit and scope'of my invention. I therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claim.

What is' claimed is The combination with a vessel, of a frame mounted on the vessel and having an intermediate compartment, aicentral opening in the top of the compartment, a relatively short marginal upstanding flange, and a supporting ledge within and at the base of said flange providing a supporting surface above the top of the frame, a reel mounted in said intermediate compartment, a cable Wound upon the reel and extending upwardly through the central opening in the compartment, a life raft mounted on the frame and being sl lbstantially of the hori zon'tal dimensions thereof, said raft seating 'at lts marginal edge upon the supporting ledge whereby to provide a lowspace between the frame and the raft, the raft being seated within the flange to prevent edgewise displacement of the raft, bridles secured across the bottom of the raft and adapted to lie loosely in said low space in spread position ready for use, a ring connecting the bridles at a point centrally beneath the bottom of the raft and over said central opening in the reel compartment, and a swivel between the ring and the upper end the cable adapted to lie in said-low space ready to he raised by the bridles and admit the turning of the raft and the bridles without (topics (Ell this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addreasingthe tlomimissioncr of? Patents.

' Washington, D. 0. 

